Supply Chain Integration and Performance of Classified Tourism Enterprises in Kenya

Purpose: Tourism enterprises in Kenya operate in hypercompetitive, complex and dynamic business environment. In order to remain a float, amidst cutthroat competition and ever increasing customer expectations, enterprises are depending on capability and excellence of their supply chain. With an aim of gaining competitive advantage;most enterprises have embraced supply chain integration (SCI).As part of supply chain ambidexterity (SCX) practices;SCI aims at establishing cohesion, enhancing linkages and collaboration between an enterprise and its trading partners; such that, rather than letting each individual function or unit exist in its own silo, disconnect in supply chain is decreased;and linkages between trading partners is established.There partners include: suppliers, customers, logistics service providers and internal user departments. Methodology: This thesis was anchored on relevant theories; and employed a mixed research design in conducting stratified sampling targeting a population of 594 respondents made up of supply chain managers, finance managers and food and beverage managers; in each and every classified tourism enterprise in Kenya. Both primary and secondary data were collected. Structured research instrument was used to collect primary data. Construct validity method was applied in testing the adequacy of the research instrument. Further, pilot testing was conducted on data collection instruments upon which it was established that the instruments were reliable and valid. Data collected was analyzed with the help of statistical packages for social sciences version 24. Findings: By employing supplier integration, internal integration and customer integration as predictors; with supply chain maturity level as a moderating variable; this thesis established the influence of SCI on performance of classified tourism enterprises in Kenya. The results found that SCI have a significant influence on performance of classified tourism enterprises in Kenya. Besides, supply chain maturity level was found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between predictor variables and response variables. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The thesis underscores the need for enterprises to enhance the uptake of SCI and other SCX practices to enhance their performance; and additionally, recommends further reasearches to be conducted on SCI targeting other industries anchoring Kenyan economy with an aim of providing policy guideline to decision makers.